The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-23
A HUSBANDS TRIPLE CRIME.
He Shoots His Wife, Her Mother and
Himself
From the Mem York Tribune.

Himself
From the Ne,o York Tribune.
William Laden shot his wife Mary and
her mother and himself at his his home, No.
LOG East One Hundred and Ninth street,
about 7;30 o'clock last evening, severely
wounding both the women and giving him
self a mortal wound.
Laden is a carpenter, 50 years old, and is
said to be a good mechanic About two
years ago he became a boarder in the home
of II. p. Wright, Third avenue elevated
railroad engineer, who was then living in
! One Hundred and Eighth street,
near Third avenue. Mr.. Wrig)n'S
! family is composed of his wife
and two daughters, Ida and Mary. Ida is
now Is and Mary is 20 years old. Laden,
| who appeared to be a sober and indus
trious young man, became a favorite
in the Wright family, and when
he began TO pay serious attention
to Mary, the older daughter the whole
| family were pleased and were glad to look
upon Laden as prospective son and broth
er-in-law. Everything that Mr.. Wright
and his family could do to make Ladens
life happy was DONE and when he was taken
sick several months ago he could not have
been better nursed if he had been Mr.
| Wrights own son. Mary, his betrothed,
watched over him and wore herself out with
| her assiduOus attention. Laden seemed
grateful for the kind treatment that he re
ceived and often spoke of the pleasure it
| gave him to have had his lot cast III such a
| pleasant place.
About seven months ago Mr. Wright and
! his family moved TO No. 1906 East One Hun
dred and Ninth street. Laden, of course,
went with them, and their relations were as
pleasant as ever. Last spring the wedding
bofi fyaI Atr
set was too far away to suit Laden. He
wanted to get married in June, the
early part, and when he could not get
the consent of the parents of the girl for this
| time not week passed that he did not urge
that the marriage might take place. Finally
he became so persistent in his demand and
as few days would not make much differ
ence anyhow, the day was changed to July
3, and on that day Mary became Laden's
wife, and everybody was happy.
The happiness did not last long. On July
Laden left his wife at home and went
with some of his companions on a spree.
His wife and her family were greatly sur
prised at his action, as they had never
known him to drink before. laden kept on
the spree for several days. until his funds
gave out, His wife was made
disconsolate to find that she
had been deserted before she had
been a bride for more than a day She
begged her husband to stop drinking and be
the same MS before they were married. Her
family did what they could to alter the
course that be had so strangely taken The
more that was said to him, however, the
worse he became, and finally he declared to
his wife that he would not work any more
at his trade and intended to live in idleneSs
like man of wealth
Laden's father and mother, who live in
the outskirts of Troy, and are reputed to be
well Off, hearing that he was married, came
from their home and visited him last week
They remained several days, during which
time Laden behaved himself and promised
that he would never drink again. He
wanted his father to set him up in business,
but he refused to do so until perfectly salts
fled that there would not be a relapse TO
the drunken ways again This angered
Laden. He wanted money, and
when his parents went away he was
surly and ugly. Before they had got well
on their journey home Laden broke loose
again and in a short time was worse than
ever He demanded money from his wife
She gave it to him. When she found it all
went for drink she refused to give him any
more. Then he became wild and made all
kinds of threats On Tuesday some one told
him that Mrs. Lindh, the janitress of the
building where he lived, had been talking
about him He went to her room and
threatened to kill her.
Yesterday Laden acted as if he were
crazy. He ran up and down stairs aud into
the street, and refused to stop making q
noise when the other tenants requested him
to. When Mr. Wright, who works at
| night, left home last evening, Laden went
to his room and demanded money from his
wife. She treated him coldlv, and said
that she did not want anything more to do
with drunken man. He took his overcoat
from a closet, and said that he was going to
pawn it.
"If you do, said his wife, 81 will never
live with you afterward."
Would you refuse to live with me!n he
angrily asked.
YES, replied his wife, 'if you persist in
drinking"
"Then l will have your life" he shouted,
drawing revolver from his pocket At
the sight of the weapon his wife ran toward
the kitchen, and he fired a shot at her which
took effect in her right shoulder Another
shot sped wide of the mark. Mrs. Wright
came from front room to save her daugh-
ter and Laden turned upon her with the pis-
tol raised. He fired as she was try
ing to escape and the bullet
struck her in the back Just
over the heart. She fell unconscious to the
floor. With manacal yell Laden dashed
to the kitchen looking for the other daugh-
ter, who had taken refuge in closet Not
finding her, he held the pistol close to his
right temple and sent a bullet into his BRAIN
The wild screams of Mrs Laden reused the
household, and she fell down stairs into the
arms of Mr.. Lindh, the janitor. Mrs Laden
became hysterical, and her screams were
heard plainly in the street until the arrival
of an ambulance from the Presbyterian
Hospital. when an opiate was given to her
that quieted her. Laden, with his brain
oozing from the wound III his skull, and the
two women were taken to the hospital
Mrs. Wright suffered greatly from pain and
moaned all the time
The house surgeon probed Mrs. Wright's
and Mrs Ladens wounds, and expressed
the opinion that there was good chance of
their recovering. Laden died late at night.
Laden did not own pistol, and il is said
that the one with which the shooting was
done was borrowed last evening for the
occasion from bartender in a liquor store
across the street.
1t Might Have Been Worse.
From the Detroit Free Press.